Aeroflot obtains the right to deny boarding to disruptive passengers

7 December 2017, Moscow. – Aeroflot has obtained the legal right to compile a blacklist of disruptive passengers and to subsequently deny them boarding. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the corresponding legislation, which will come into force in June 2018.

These newly adopted measures will help the entire Russian civil aviation industry and make it more appealing at a global level. The amendments to the Russian Aviation Code that legalise the blacklists place Russian carriers in the same position as foreign airlines, which have long had the right to take decisive measures against passengers who violate the rules of conduct on board. For its part, Aeroflot has already developed a system for the enforcement of the new legal provisions.

The behaviour of disruptive passengers was one of the most acute problems in Russian civil aviation, because until now Russian law did not provide adequate measures of liability for such transgressions. Since 2006, Aeroflot has registered 3,500 cases of improper behaviour on its flights. This figure includes more than 40 serious violations – assault on crew members, damage to the cabin and destruction of equipment, and situations that posed serious danger to other passengers.

"Aeroflot has consistently sought tougher legislation against disruptive passengers," said Vladimir Alexandrov, Deputy General Director for Legal and Property Matters at PJSC Aeroflot. "This serious question was discussed at one of the meetings between our airline's General Director Vitaly Saveliev and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. The head of state supported our initiative to strengthen the legal framework. The new laws will substantially increase the level of protection for passengers and decrease the instance of offences during air travel."

About Aeroflot

Aeroflot is Russia’s flagship carrier and a proud member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance. Aeroflot and its partners serve 1,074 destinations in 177 countries worldwide. In 2016, Aeroflot carried 29 million passengers (43.4 million passengers as Aeroflot Group including subsidiaries).

Aeroflot became the first Russian airline to be awarded Four Star Airline status by Skytrax in recognition of the high-quality of its customer service. In 2017, Aeroflot was named Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the sixth time at the Skytrax World Airline Awards.

In 2017, Aeroflot was named the most powerful brand in Russia and the world’s strongest airline brand by leading valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance. Aeroflot was also named Best Major Airline in Europe by TripAdvisor travellers and recognised as the Favourite International Airline in China at the Flyer Award Ceremony 2017.

Aeroflot operates one of the youngest fleets in the world with 220 aircraft. Aeroflot is based in Moscow, at Sheremetyevo International Airport.

Aeroflot is among the global leaders in aviation safety, with a European Community Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) Index, the main globally recognized safety parameter, comparable to global peers.

The first Russian carrier to enter the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) register, renewing its registration for the seventh time in 2017, Aeroflot has successfully passed the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) and is fully ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2004 compliant.